The Devil's Dream
by H0ll0wM4n
Summary: BK-201 has returned to Japan, and brought with him the greatest threat humanity has to face. No longer a member of the Syndicate, he has been working alone for the past three years. Now, fate has thrown him into the hands of the only one who can help him survive; Misaki Kirihara.
1. Chapter 1

'Chief, she's heading your way now! Cut her off!'

Chief Misaki Kirihara dashed through the doorway of the small café and shouldered past a waitress, spilling coffee all over the floor. "Sorry!" She called over her shoulder without stopping, ramming through the kitchen door and into the residential section of the building where the owner lived. She passed through without pausing to take in the surroundings, sprinting up the stairs and arriving at the door that led to the roof. She tried the knob, but it was locked. She took a step back and, with a grunt of effort, kicked the door open. She rushed outside, raising her Barretta 92FS nine millimeter handgun and aiming down the sight.

On the other end of the roof, a woman landed down onto the concrete and somersaulted to break her fall. She'd leaped from a window on the opposite side of the street, and only survived due to her ability, which was the compression and manipulation of the air around her. She was gasping, and reached into her pocket. Kirihara clicked the hammer of her gun back. "Hands where I can see them!" The woman froze, and then continued to draw out…her inhaler. She bit down onto it and sucked hard, taking a large dose and then rolling over onto her back. The Chief sighed, and walked forward with her gun still trained on the woman.

She'd passed out from the strain. Kirihara holstered her weapon and bent down, flipping her over one more time so that she could be cuffed. The sound of footsteps behind her caught her attention, and Saito emerged from the café below. 'Chief! She…oh. Geez, Chief. You don't even need me around anymore, these days.' "You aren't getting off that easy, Saito. Get some uniforms up here and have her processed. What happened on your end? Any casualties?" Saito shook his head, paging the officers. 'Not including her victims from the past two months. It's a good thing we got this one, Chief. How did you take her down, anyway?' "She passed out."

Saito blinked incredulously, that same shocked expression that he always had on his face. 'Passed out!? Wow…so much for her. These contractors just seem to get less and less capable of controlling their powers. If it keeps up like this we might be out of a job.' "You make it sound like it's a bad thing." 'No, I didn't mean-' "Relax, Saito. I know what you meant." Two officers came running up the stairs and lifted the woman up, thanking both Kirihara and Saito before bringing her downstairs and putting her in the squad car. Saito exhaled in relief, and Kirihara started walking back downstairs. 'So, Chief. We're already at a coffee shop, waddaya say we…'

Kirihara turned and smiled her weary smile. "Sorry, Saito. Maybe next time." Saito smiled in defeat, knowing she would have said that. He never knew why she turned him down at every turn, but figured if he just kept trying, then eventually she'd have to give him a shot. 'Yeah…maybe.' "Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Things seem to be pretty slow." With that she went downstairs, and apologized to both the café owner and the waitress. Neither of them seemed upset at all; they were glad she caught the criminal. She then went to her car outside, slid into the drivers seat and started back towards the station. She lost herself in thought as she drove, letting her instincts do most of the work.

'It's been three years. Three years since BK-201, or Li Shengshun, deterred the catastrophic ambitions of the organization simply known as The Syndicate. It was said that the remainder of the faction was hunted down and either apprehended or terminated, but how can we believe that? If they had infiltrated us as deeply as they had when my own superiors were members, then how was I supposed to accept what the media and other authorities told me? An old friend of mine once told me that I couldn't trust anyone but myself, and to follow my instincts. I've been doing just that ever since.'

She slowed down, seeing a child crossing the street in a hurry. She smiled and waved through her window, and the child returned the gesture before continuing about his business. She started driving again.

'Even so, Japan has made a lot of progress. Many contractors have successfully integrated themselves into society. We've even busted a few places where contractors were using their abilities for entertainment or other services in the community. Some we had to put a stop to, as they drew too much attention. Others were just subtle enough that we let them go, deciding they were doing more good than harm. For a while it had been just one disaster after another. It seems like now everything is finally settling down.'

The sun had set, and night was creeping across the false sky that existed above them. As Kirihara pulled up to the curb in front of the station, she removed her cell phone and radio from the cup holders and put them in her pockets. She stepped out of the car, closing the door and locking it before making her way towards the building. As she neared the door, the sound of sirens caught her attention. She turned around, blinking in curiosity as an ambulance turned the corner down the street. Just as she saw it, her radio blared to life. 'Chief! Chief, come in!' Kirihara reached down and grabbed the radio, lifting it up and opening the channel. "What is it, Saito?"

'I have no idea! I was headin' home, and I saw the smoke!' "Smoke?" 'Yeah! There was a pile up on the road. It looked like just an accident at first, but there's bullet holes all throughout two of the cars! Also…the hood of one of the cars was melted like it had been burned. The rest of the cars still intact; something's up here Chief.' Kirihara slanted her eyes, and rushed back to the car. As she closed the door the ambulance passed her by, and she peeled out of her parking spot and followed close behind. "Saito, run crowd control. Get some uniforms down there and set up a perimeter. No civilians are allowed to tamper with the sight."

"Have the roads around the crash sealed off. I'll be down there soon." 'So much for a slow day. You got it, Chief.' She closed the channel and continued to follow behind the ambulance. The hospital wasn't far; and at this speed they'd reach it soon. She could have turned on her siren to help divert traffic, but that would risk the ambulance pulling over and her potential witness might die. She had to be patient. 'Someone wanted someone else dead. They fired on the vehicle. It seems like a contractor might have been involved as well.' She reached into her pocket and removed her phone, speed dialing the astronomical division.

'This is astronomics.' "This is Chief Kirihara. Get me Kanami." It was silent for a moment, save for the sound of her own engine and the ambulance sirens. 'Kanami here.' "Kanami, it's me." 'That's some fast acting, Misaki. We were just about to contact you.' "Why would that be?" 'We had some serious activity a few minutes ago. It was brief, but almost ten stars went into a frenzy. Nine of them we couldn't identify…but we did get an ID on one of them.' "Give me the details." 'Well…hang on.' The phone was quiet again for a while, and finally they arrived at the ER pickup of the hospital. She parked her car across the street, and stepped out with the phone still at her ear. Locking the door, she began across the street and stood on the sidewalk.

She was watching the ambulance carefully as the EMT's stepped out of the cab and ran to the rear doors. 'Misaki…you still there?' "Yeah, what's up?" 'I could lose my job for telling you this. I was told directly by my superiors to inform them of any activity concerning this star and its contractor…but I know you'll just keep pushing until you get yourself in real trouble so I'll just tell you now.' The EMT's opened the rear doors and grabbed the rolling stretcher, pulling the man out and setting him down as gently as they could. They rotated the table, revealing the mans face. "The star number is-" Kirihara had already hung up, and her arm fell limp at her side as they wheeled the dark-haired man into the ER. "BK-201…."


	2. To The Reader

Hello. I am H0ll0wM4n, and it is my pleasure to bring you my alternate version of the events that took place at the end of Darker Than BLACK; Season One.

I do my best to paint as vivid a picture as possible for my readers, while maintaining an interesting plot. It is my sincere hope that I'm able to provoke the imagination in you and hopefully get you writing your own fantastic tales.

Please, follow and review my story. It would do me well to hear what you have to say, no matter how trivial it may seem.

I hope you enjoy reading the adventure, as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Forever Empty,

The H0ll0wM4n


	3. Chapter 2

Thanks to all those who offered criticism; it helps me improve. From here on out I will be placing messages from the author either before or after the chapter in alternate fonts. Please continue to let me know how you feel about my methods of writing.

However, allow me to be blunt; I will not even acknowledge suggestions and/or hints regarding the storyline itself. I would be sorry, but frankly, it's just the way I am. Otherwise, feel free to drop me a line.

Thanks very much! Here we go.

'Gettim into the ER, I want him on a table ten minutes ago!' Kirihara could hear the doctor roaring over his subordinates as they wheeled BK-201, also known as Li, down the hall and towards the emergency room. She couldn't see much past the shoulders and heads of the four white-and-blue clad medical assistants. What she could make out was gruesome. A large chunk of flesh was torn from Li's torso; his breathing was ragged and his oxygen mask stained at the edges with his blood. It didn't look like he had any broken bones, but the wounds he did have were severe. Not only was he missing large amounts of flesh in his torso, but the wounds were burned over as if someone had tried to cause even more damage to him.

'Ma'am, please, you have to wait outside.' Misaki had been so lost in thought and in the rush of chasing the hospital bed, she hadn't noticed the newest member of the medical team appear. The nurse shooed her out of the way and forced her back, nearly pinning her against the wall while the rest of the team made their way into the emergency room. 'Do you know him?' Misaki was still trying to peek over the woman's shoulder, and just barely managed to acknowledge the question. "Wha-…Who, me?" The nurse seemed to be irritated. 'Yes ma'am, do you know the patient?' How was she supposed to answer that? Yes she knew him, but she didn't even know what his real name was, let alone who his closest relative might be! Yet something in her provoked her into answering the question. "Yes…I do."

'Alright just wait here, he's in good hands, miss…?' The nurse waited for her to complete the end of the statement. "Kirihara. Misaki Kirihara." The nurse turned away with a brief smile, grabbing a notepad and pen from her shirt pocket. 'Got it. Wait here ma'am, I'm sure he'll be fine.' The young nurse then walked off to continue her duties for the night. Misaki stood against the wall across from the double doors of the ER, and began to pace back and forth. She knew she must look like the typical worrying spouse of relative, but she had more than just the well being of someone else at mind. She was infuriated with herself for so many reasons she didn't even know where to start.

'_Stupid, Misaki! Stupid, stupid! First of all, why didn't I call for back up right when I saw him? Secondly, why did I make a claim to him like I know who he is, when obviously I have no idea? Finally, using my real name in an undercover situation. He might not even remember my face; it's not like we spent much time together._' She decided that it wouldn't do her much good to sit and debate on what she could have done better. She thought time would be better spent figuring out what she was going to do when he was back to his old super spy self. She bought herself a bottled water from a vending machine further down the hall, came back to her original position and took a seat to wait. The thought of having to wait very long was torturous, but the rewards were sure to be worth it. Finally, she could have some closure.

Four hours passed. It seemed like an eternity to Misaki. She spent the entire time thinking. She was thinking about the time she'd spent with Li, about what her father would say about this, what Saito would say about it, and even what Kanami would have to say. Then she spent some time thinking about Li himself, and the life that he lived. Her cell phone kept going off with messages from Saito asking where she was and if she was alright. She ignored them, a habit she didn't practice normally. But these were not normal circumstances, and so she had to adapt. She was nearly ready to pass out when a woman's voice came to her attention. 'Excuse me…ma'am? Miss Kirihara?' Misaki fumbled to get her glasses back up on her face from the slanted position they'd fallen in, crushing the empty bottle in her hand as she shot up out of her chair. "Yes, I'm Kirihara!"

The doctor was startled, but no less amused. 'Well, Mister Kirihara has regained consciousness. He's a little weak, so be sure to be careful with him, but you're allowed to go in. We'll be moving him from the ER to the recovery wing very soon, but he made a big fuss about seeing you first. You're a very lucky woman miss Kirihara; I wish my husband had as much attention and passion for me as yours does for you. We're having some trouble getting a hold of his records, but that should be cleared up soon. You have a good night now, ma'am.' Misaki stood stunned as the doctor walked away. '_Did I hear her correctly just now? Did she say…husband?_' A combination of insecurity and fury flooded her cheeks, turning them red and framing her face as she pushed open the doors to the ER.

The room was quiet. The last nurse smiled on her way out as she exited the room, leaving Misaki alone with him. He was sitting on the hospital bed, with a sheet covering his waist down. Medical grade bandages were wound around his torso, and his head was down. Misaki had thought she'd come in this room prepared, but apparently she hadn't. There were so many questions flooding her mind at once, she didn't know where to begin asking. So she went with what came to mind first. "Do you remember who I am?" He raised his head, and those empty dark eyes fell on her. It was silent for a long time…then he spoke. "It's good to see you…Misaki."


	4. Chapter 3

"It's good to see you…Misaki."

For those first few seconds after he had spoken, Misaki was shocked. That was the last thing she had expected him to say. She hadn't even held out any hope that he remembered who she was; let alone that he would think it was good to see her. But just as quickly as the feeling had come over her it passed, replaced by her subconscious need to be an officer of the law. She took a few steps forward, and stopped just about a foot away from him, give or take a few inches.

"I'd hardly think it was good to see me." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Considering I'll probably be the one to arrest you." The contractor lowered his eyes to his hands, which were resting quietly in his lap. He curled and relaxed his fingers a few times before he responded. "Arrest me for what…?" Misaki blinked in surprise. He just kept showing her up. She had expected him to say something along the lines of 'you can try' or, 'you can't hold me.' He was…oddly complacent. She didn't remember him being like this at all.

But again; the police officer in her wouldn't be distracted for long. "How about the accident we pulled you from?" He didn't even look up at her when he rebuked. "It was an accident, remember." Misaki crossed her arms in front of her chest, finding that hard to believe. Still, he was right. She had no grounds to arrest him on baseless accusations. "The most you could do right now is put me in holding…I'll be out in a couple of days." Right again. There was nothing she could do but let him walk away….Again. So, she decided to take what she could get.

"Will you at least answer some questions for me, Li?" He continued to stare at his hands, even when he responded to her. "What sort of questions?" Misaki relaxed, and walked over to grab one of the chairs set by the wall. She carried it over to the place she'd been standing and set it down, taking a seat. He didn't acknowledge that she'd conducted the action. She decided to just keep going forward. "Questions that need answers. What happened in the accident? Why are you back in Japan? Are you here on your own, or are you working for someone?"

The silence that filled the room was unnerving. She decided that while she was at it, she may as well get it all off of her chest. She kept on asking. "If you are working for someone, who would that be? Lastly, why let the police and EMT's bring you to the hospital? I don't remember you being the type to ask for help, or to be taken so easily." The man she knew simply as Li lifted his chin to turn and look at something. Misaki followed her gaze to find another hospital bed hidden behind a curtain.

She stood up, glancing back at Li as she made her way over and looked behind the curtain. A young girl no older than ten was lying on the bed, bandages on her arms and torso. She was making a full recovery, from what was written on the clipboard at the end of her bed. Misaki turned back towards Li, returning to her seat. "Who's that supposed to be?" Li kept watching the curtain with that distant look in his eye. He responded quietly. "She was in the other car…her parents…they didn't make it." Misaki couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he trying to convince her that he let himself be taken so he could make sure that the girl survived the incident?

Why was it, she wondered, that she found it so easy to believe him? He kept talking. "I don't know what happened in the accident. I was just walking by the highway exit when I was attacked. We were thrown into traffic, and he used his ability to smash the approaching car. The second car was meant to pick him up, which it did. The rest were just civilians. No…I don't work for anyone anymore." It was quiet once again. Misaki narrowed her eyes, knowing he was keeping something from her, as he had avoided one of the questions. "You still haven't told me why you came back."

Once again, it was all silent. He looked back down at his hands as they rested in his lap. A whole two minutes passed by, and Misaki had remained silent because she wanted to know exactly what he had to say without obstacle. Finally, he spoke. What he said surprised her more than anything else than he had thus far revealed. "I wanted to see Japan again." At first, she was irritated. Did he really expect her to buy that? But as she watched him stare down at his hands, she couldn't help but notice the look of pure loneliness that rested behind his dark eyes. She voiced her query. "So you're just here taking a walk down memory lane…?"

"Yeah…something like that." She sighed, exhausted from the strain of her own thought process. "So you're feeling nostalgic now, Li? I find that hard to buy into."

"…Everyone that I've ever known is dead, Misaki."

This time it wasn't just silence that filled the room. It was joined by a sadness that was thick enough to cut through with a knife. He looked at her, and it was the first time in a long time that he'd actually met her gaze with his own. "Everyone. I've lost them all. Everything I've ever worked for…everyone I've done my best to protect. Whether it was by another contractor, some random person, themselves, or my own two hands…they've all been killed. I'm all that's left." Misaki was torn. She wanted to reach out and console him in one hand, and in the other scold him for leading this life in the first place. But neither one seemed appropriate. So she just let him finish talking.

Li recalled a dear friend who was long dead, remembering some of the last words she had spoken to him before she met her end. He repeated them now to Misaki.

"I came back to Japan to disappear, Misaki…I just want to fade away."


	5. Chapter 4

The meaning behind the sentence wasn't nearly as heavy as the tone in which he stated it. He looked away from her once more, almost as if he were ashamed to admit his intentions. Misaki couldn't help but wonder what was running through his mind, especially considering he had said something to her that she considered rather personal. She fidgeted in her chair for a moment, at a loss of words.

"You don't have to say anything. If you have charges to arrest me on, that's fine too. It doesn't matter."

She was feeling a lot of emotions at once. Part of her wanted to console him, and a part of her wanted to tell him he couldn't have expected it to end any other way. But there was another feeling brewing inside of her at his tone, and his message. A feeling that she had been carrying with her ever since she found out who he really was. Gathering up her reserves, she stood from her chair with that same fire in her eyes that deserved her position.

"So that's it, then? You're just going to give up, lay down and pretend there's nothing you can do?"

Hei gripped the hospital bed sheet, and looked over to her with narrowed eyes.

"What can I do, Misaki? What am I supposed to work for now?"

"Why don't you work for me?"

His brow rose in surprise at her words, and she went on to explain, putting one hand on her chest and extending the other towards him.

"You have the power to protect people. You tried for so long, and even though they might be gone now you gave it your all to make sure they lived as long as they did, right? Well why does it always come down to your friends, or your loved ones? What about the other people in the world who aren't strong enough to defend themselves? They just get to suffer because you don't feel like you have the time?"

Hei looked away from her again. He knew what she said held meaning, but he had never exactly been a good Samaritan. He just didn't feel as if he had the power. How was he supposed to protect everyone else, if he couldn't even protect the ones he wanted to keep safe? It was better if he just stayed within his own affairs, wasn't it? He looked back to Misaki, and tried to put his concern into words.

"How exactly am I supposed to do that, anyway? Put on the mask and just try to be a hero? It's not as easy as you're making it out to be."

"Maybe not, but it's not as hard as you're making it out to be, either. You don't need to wear that mask anymore, Li…no one is asking you to do that. But you could come work for me, and Section 3. You don't need that life anymore, Li. It's not one that you want, and it's not one that I want for you either. I mean…what do you have to lose?"

She didn't know where this offer had come from. She didn't know what she had in mind when she told him that he could come work for her. It's not something she had been considering when she walked into the ER. But still, it was definitely something she'd be willing to pursue. She knew there was a good person somewhere in there; she had spent an evening with that good person, once.

He kept watching his hands, like he was really contemplating her offer. He wanted to find a reason to deny her, but he had no grounds to do so. What had he been doing this entire time, than killing in order to serve his own selfish ends? He didn't regret a single moment of his life so far, except the ones that involved him losing those he cared about. He had always been trying to do the right thing by his friends…maybe it was time to broaden that circle.

Misaki was just about to tell him that if he wanted she could just walk out and pretend she'd never seen him, when he spoke.

"We'll have to dig up some old paperwork…to give me a solid identity. The hospital has one of my masks, and my coat. I'll need both of those back. You'll have to help me find a place to live, too."

Her eyes brightened as the realization dawned on her that he was agreeing with her. She smiled, and straightened herself out.

"I'll take care of everything; you just have to promise me something."

He met her gaze, recognizing the seriousness of her tone.

"Promise me…that if you have to leave somewhere, you'll tell me first. That you won't just disappear without a trace. Give me that much, Li."

He watched her for a while, wondering what her intentions might be behind that request. She was a hard person to read, and some part of him wondered if that was why he was always so willing to listen to what she had to say.

"…My name isn't Li. It's Hei…I'm Chinese, and…I promise."

Half an hour later, Li was slipping into the passenger seat of Misaki's car. It had been a simple thing to convince the hospital to let her take him into her custody, especially considering they had no idea who he was. He'd changed into the clothes he'd been taken into, which had been a collared white shirt and blue jeans that he'd been wearing underneath his coat. Misaki started the car, and began the journey towards midtown.

"I'm pretty impressed that you can fit that coat in your back pocket."

"I'm pretty impressed you made section head. Section 3 and the Foreign Affairs Division, huh?"

Misaki smiled at his praise.

"Thanks, but I'm still just an agent for Section 3. I just run things while Koboyashi is out handling other duties. I'm the Head of Section 4 Foreign Affairs, but really that's just a front for Section 3. As far as Section 4 is concerned, I'm just a face and a title."

Hei leaned his head against his fist, watching out of the window.

"Well aren't you the over-achiever."

"We can go back to the hospital if you want."

He smiled at her, and she returned the expression. She was glad he had decided to come along with her; it was something she knew would bring good tidings. At least for him, anyway. She pulled up to a red light, and caught him watching her.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"It's going to be interesting to watch you explain this."


	6. Chapter 5

The coffee mug tumbled cross the carpeted floor of the Foreign Affairs staff offices, hot coffee spilling all over the dark blue fabric.

"P-Personal assistant!? Boss you can't be serious!"

It was starting to look like Saito would be taking Hei's place in the hospital, since his jaw had clearly dislocated to drop an extra foot. Hei was standing behind Misaki with one hand behind his head, that nervous smile on his face, and the other hand held firmly at his side. Misaki had her arms crossed in front of her chest and wore the same stern look she gave everyone, everywhere.

"Is there a problem with that, Saito?"

The subordinate officer quickly adjusted his dumbfounded expression, yet the look of pure confusion remained in his eyes.

"N-No problem Chief, I just…why Li? I mean no offense, but he's not exactly qualified. Good to see ya though, Li."

Hei put his hand down, bowing his head slightly in a courteous greeting.

"Nice to see you again, too."

Misaki stepped forward, closing the distance between her and Saito by about five feet. Knowing when he had upset Misaki from the years of working together, he straightened his back and raised his chin in a show of fealty. This little pose didn't keep her from her onslaught, however.

"I didn't realize you were the ones reviewing applications now, Saito. How would you know what he's qualified for…well?"

Saito put his hands up in the universal show of defensiveness.

"I wouldn't, I just…I'm curious, I guess. I didn't realize he had experience in this sort of field."

Misaki bit her lip as she deliberated a response, and when she opened to mouth her speak she was cut off by the tentative tone of the man she had been defending.

"Well I'm not brave or anything like you or Ms. Kirihara. But I'm good at the little things. I'm a pretty good transcriptionist, I'd like to think I'm one of the best at taking notes, and I'm the fastest gophers in the city. I can find a fresh cup of coffee, the best soft pretzels in town and be back in time for everything to still be hot."

Both Misaki and Saito were staring back at him as if they'd just him confess he was still in high school. Misaki couldn't imagine a more humiliating statement to make as an adult, but she supposed if there was anything that made a lie consistent it was humility. Saito confirmed this belief by laughing lightly, clapping his hands together and smiling warmly at Hei.

"Well I'm sold. I've seen for myself that you know how to work, and you still hold the title for hungriest guy I know. If there's anyone to trust in finding me some good food, it's you. I know you haven't started just yet but do you think you could get me a-"

Saito yelped in pain when Misaki grabbed him by the shoulder, pinching with such force that he swore he could feel his bone trembling.

"Personal, assistant Saito. Personal. You will not be asking Li to fetch you anything unless I told him to do it for you. Got it?"

"Yeah yeah yeah, I got it!"

He submitted quickly, and she let him go. He rubbed his shoulder with the look of a disciplined puppy and Misaki brushed her hands off. She didn't want to risk Saito and Hei spending too much time together, and widening the chance of his identity being compromised. Well…maybe there was a pang of selfish intentions mixed in there too, but everyone in hell would have a crisp glass of ice water before she admitted to that.

She turned around and beckoned for Hei to follow him, and he did. As he passed by Saito, he gave him a thumbs up and s mile. Saito chuckled softly and patted him on the shoulder. He called out to Misaki as she made her way to the office.

"Hey, the report from the accident is on your desk! Still need me here?"

Hei grabbed the door handle of her office, opening it up and waiting for her to enter first. Misaki stopped at the doorway, turning to look back.

"Thanks, Saito. I appreciate your help. Take the rest of the night off; for real this time. We'll see you on Monday."

"You got it. See you Li."

Hei waved goodbye with that same warm smile of his, and walked into the office behind Misaki. As soon as the door closed, he relaxed his shoulders and exhaled. The warm look left his face and he was back to his usual monotonous self. Misaki went around the rosewood desk and picked up the thin stack of documents. She sat down in her leather chair, and Hei took a seat opposite her.

Misaki had been reading over the documents when she noticed him watching her again, one of his eyebrows arched.

"What is it?"

"Personal assistant, huh? You come up with that on the drive over here or did you just make it up on the spot?"

She lowered the documents to the surface of the desk, interlacing her fingers and crossing one leg over the other. She watched him for a long minute, before reaching out to open up her desk drawer and fumble around inside. She drew out an application, and slid it across the desk. She removed the pen from her suit pocket and passed that to him as well.

"Fill this out, and make sure to leave your excellent sense of humor off of the merits."

They stared each other down for another whole minute, neither breaking face. Hei had on that same look of utter emptiness, and Misaki wouldn't let go of her authoritative glare. She wasn't going to give him the benefit of having the upper hand on her anymore. She had always wondered if that night they spent together had just been part of his façade; just another scene in his play.

The battle was over, when a smile broke across his features.

"Yes ma'am."

He leaned forward and grabbed the application off the desk, removing a notepad from his pocket that he used to set the paper on wherever he was writing. Misaki watched him as he started filling it out, his eyes trained on the lines of the paper.

'I don't know what to make of this guy…I never have. I thought I did, that night. When we sat there staring at the stars, telling each other our wishes and our beliefs…was that all just part of the show? Did he actually bare some part of himself to me that night, or am I an idiot for believing him? I don't even know if he's being sincere with me now. This could all be part of some grand scheme he has in mind.

I guess I'll just have to go along for the ride. If there is a greater plot in mind, then I want to know what it is. If there isn't…then maybe he can be something other than just a mask and a number.'

"Good things, I hope."

Misaki perked up, suddenly being thrust back into reality. In her daze, she hadn't realized that Hei had finished his application already. He was looking rather comfortable in his chair, that small smile still on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were staring at me."

"No I wasn't, don't be ridiculous."

She snatched the application from the desk, her cheeks colored a bright red. She skimmed over the document, impressed both with his handwriting and his efficiency. She signed the back of the document as she should, and placed it in the drawer. She glanced at him again, and he was watching her with that same smile.

That docile, fragile smile.

"You're all set. We'll start work Monday."

"No interview?"

She smiled back at him, and stood up out of her chair.

"You hungry? I could really eat."

Hei stood up out of his seat, and gestured towards the door.

"After you, boss."


End file.
